Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill has stated his dissatisfaction with the road works at Conversation Tree and at Cemetery Road, asserting that they should have been completed this year and not roll over to 2024.
The minister, disheartened at the slothful manner in which the projects are being conducted, informed reporters at a year-end press briefing yesterday that the respective contractors were given a revised timeline of January month-end to finalise the road projects.
For the Cemetery Road project, the revised timeline of end of January was granted to the contractor, after which Liquidated Damages will be applied.
“I will make myself clear. If January month-end comes and this project is not completed the contractor will be removed from the project and we will hire a proper contractor to get the job done,” Edghill declared.
According to the Minister, “Cemetery Road is long overdue and slothfulness will not be tolerated as it is too much of a road to be moving at such pace.”
“We are not proud at all that this road was not completed for 2023”, he added.
On August 23 last year, Stabroek News reported Minister Edghill as saying that Cemetery Road would be upgraded into a four-lane road.
“In Cemetery Road, we are now upgrading it. Both of the carriageways from Princes Street out to Mandela Avenue, we are ensuring that you can get traffic two lanes going and two lanes coming. So, Cemetery Road is turning into a four-lane.”
He was at the time delivering an address at the launch of the Independence Boulevard and Cemetery Road enhancement projects. Edghill said then that Le Repentir cemetery would also be fenced and concrete drains would be constructed on the eastern and western carriageways. In the centre, there will be a walkway. Currently, Cemetery Road has two lanes. It is the entry point to the Le Repentir Cemetery and as such, most times when there are funerals, traffic congestion is the result.
The work is being done by Avinash Contracting.
Conversation Tree
Edghill also expressed dissatisfaction at the significant delays being experienced on Phase 2 of the Conversation Tree Road Project.
While pleased to announce that Phase 1 of the Conversation Tree Road project is progressing nicely, he expressed disappointment at the fact that there has been no development in the pace of Phase 2.
“The contractors [Kallco] also received a revised deadline and if Lot 2 is not completed, they will be removed from the project and we will procure someone capable of executing it promptly.”
The Minister said that these road projects (Cemetery and Conversation Tree) are very important thoroughfares which must not be taken for granted while stating that the government is already behind schedule.
“We cannot allow these projects to languish like this it is a grave concern of our citizens.”
Stabroek News reported on December 8, that the Conversation Tree to Dennis Street/Exit to Sheriff Street Project was one month behind its extended completion deadline, and the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) said it was going ahead with implementing liquidated damages and possible termination of the Kallco Guyana Inc. contract.
The Ministry at the same time said that S. Jagmohan Construction & General Supplies Inc. will complete all remaining works in the New Year.
The project started at the Conversation Tree corridor and would link Sheriff Street to the Dennis Street corridor. It was split into two lots with Lot 8A executed by S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc, for $1,066, 358,738, and Lot 8B executed by Trinidad company, Kallco Guyana Inc, for $830,293,458. Both projects had as their completion dates September 5, 2022, and November 5, 2023, respectively.
However, since the project started, several issues have been raised, progress of works being one of which Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill cited back in July. At the time, 65 per cent of the contract time had elapsed but only 25 per cent of the work was completed, Edghill had told the Stabroek News. Coupled with that, residents had also complained to Stabroek News about stagnant water, breeding of mosquitoes, and issues with accessing their properties. In response, Edghill had urged the contractors to increase their production pace to ensure that the project was completed on time while minimizing discomfort to residents.
Edghill was forced to issue another statement, which the Stabroek News reported on, cautioning the contractors about their non-performance, especially, Kallco Guyana Inc. Subsequently, Edghill announced that the ministry would approach the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) regarding blacklisting Kallco Guyana Inc, from any future contracts in Guyana due to their being a “non-performing contractor.” However, officials from the company met with the Ministry and the contractor was given the green light to resume work but without changes to the original completion deadline.
Currently, the project is one month past its deadline and it remains nowhere close to completion. As of November 24, the overall progress of the entire project is approximately 25 per cent complete, according to the Ministry. Edghill, in a statement, then listed two different directions that could be taken.
The Ministry reported that following their engagement with Kallco Guyana Inc in August 2023 to address the slow progress of the works, several commitments were made by the contractor to advance the works but only about 25 per cent was completed which seems to be a result of some challenges still faced by the contractor.
Consequently, the ministry announced that it will now proceed with implementing liquidated damages and consider terminating the contract.
MoPW noted that as previously indicated to the contractor in August, the status then of the project would not have allowed it to be completed by the November 5, 2023 deadline and even now, even if the contractor addresses the resource shortages, the project may not be substantially completed by December 31, 2023. According to the Ministry, in the coming month, Kallco was expected to do the sub-base and base course construction, construct a revetment along Dennis Street and also construct a concrete bridge at Dennis Street.
S. Jagmohan Construction & General Supplies Inc on the other hand, as of November 24, has only completed 65 per cent of their work.
However, according to MoPW, the project is set to move to approximately eighty per cent completion by December 25. Paving will commence on December 1, and is expected to be completed by January 20, 2024, with all works by Jagmohan are expected to be completed by January 31, 2024. Works left out are the excavation of a section of Delhi Street, the sub-base and base course construction of a section of Delhi Street, the construction of a concrete bridge at Dennis Street and also the pole planting for street lights.
The Conversation Tree Project was awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board in 2022.
